Portal Gourmet, LLC.

The World Wide Web contains so much information that people have difficulty sorting through it to find the exact information about new services or products that they need. So many companies invest so many resources in marketing and publicity that, as a consequence, pertinent information gets lost in the clutter. This is especially true when the information sought regards innovative and vanguard products.

The challenge that faces small start-up businesses is how to get relevant information about their products or services out to the public without getting lost in traffic. The successful company will find a way to harness the power of the World Wide Web. Fortunately, there are websites that provide this very service. Three such websites are: 1) The Horizon Report, 2) Morgan Stanley Mobile Internet Report, and 3) the ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology Report.

The Horizon Report portrays yearly research of important applications and websites that can be of interest to practitioners in the area of education; however, applications that are relevant to education are well applicable to businesses since the objective is to show and teach the consumers about products and/or services. The most notorious and imperative venue to show a product is through social media by using the most socially accepted sites i.e., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Foursquare, Whrrl, and Blogger (Horizon Report, 2010). Also, people can develop their own social networks using Ning, Netvibes and Pagecast. Another venue to eke exposure and establish credibility of a company and its products is by using applications such as UStream, Mogulus or Stickam. They allow people to create broadcast shows by using a webcam, get in contact with other businesses, and build social networks (Horizon Report, 2010). For document sharing, applications such as Zoho Office and Google Docs are the most popular. The Horizon Report exemplifies the most up-to-date information that may serve people with different kinds of business. Hence, companies should update business plans to introduce social media sites to advertise and maintain direct contact with clients. By creating broadcast shows or video clips, businesses can show consumers the applicability of products or the benefits of using their services.

The Morgan Stanley Mobile Internet Report explains how the market and technology develop overtime (Morgan Stanley, 2009). In their research, they found that the usage of internet through cellular phones, specifically iPhones, is higher than desktops and laptops (Morgan Stanley, 2009). Services for mobile devices are increasing and different applications are combined (e.g. 3G, social networking sites, specifically Facebook, video, music and photos, VoIp calls, chats, and games) to enhance the internet experience. Hence, businesses should pay attention to mobile marketing and use different applications for iPhones to publicize services and products. Furthermore, companies must employ strategies to utilize Facebook in order to market and sell products in an amicable, simple, accessible and affordable manner (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008).

The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology Report explains the student experience in college utilizing technological devices (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009). One of the most important concepts that the report uses is the mobile learning or M-Learning. M-Learning is the use of the fouth generation (4G) mobile internet standards that allows people to use video and teleconference for educational purposes (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009, p.29). The ECAR report shows that more students own laptops than desktops, and they communicate mostly with others through the internet (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009). In addition, mobile devices are mostly used to check news and sports, social network sites, text message and check emails (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009). Students who do not own a mobile device showed an interest in acquiring one.

The ECAR report state that the usual time a student spent on the internet is 10 hours or less per week (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009). It also identifies the tendency for students to use smaller devices to interact with others and comply with their educational endeavors. Thus, businesses may address their marketing and publicity strategies to people ranging from 18 to 29 years old as a result of their highly usage of social networking websites (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009). Also, the increment of downloading videos increased from 71.4% in 2006 to 83.5% in 2009 (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009); therefore, information content needs to be visualized with the capacity to be downloaded in a timely manner from known and accepted social media sites.

The Horizon Report, Morgan Stanley Mobile Internet Report and ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology Report elucidate technology and information that can be utilized in any business to enhance productivity and expose largely products and services. The information presented in these reports demonstrates the current tendency for teaching, learning and creative inquiry. As business owners, we teach people what our product is, how and when they can use it, or where to apply it. We should understand how people learn these days, so we utilize same venues to motivate people to use our products.

Creativity in marketing and publicity goes along the way, but attractiveness and pleasantness of our products through innovative internet sites will determine our success in the future. The following articles represent the practical usage of innovative internet sites in the business sector.

1. Facebook is the leader in social networking with more than 300,000 million people, and it is the most important tool to communicate with others. Exposure of products and services is important in this site to reach more clients worldwide. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/business/smallbusiness/12guide.html?ref=small-business-guides

2. This article explains the benefits of using social networking sites in addition to geolocation services to establish credibility and expose services and products. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/smallbusiness/07sbiz.html?_r=1&ref=small-business-guides

3. Twitter is an excellent tool to advertise products and teach people about their use. One important characteristic of Twitter is that it can increase customer participation in social networking cites. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/smallbusiness/27sbiz.html?ref=small-business-guides

4. Text messaging is an important element in our daily lives. It is a quick venue to communicate with others, and its usage is increasing in order to promote services, or even teach people how to use products. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/business/smallbusiness/24texting.html?ref=small-business-guides

5. Do not forget about your online reputation! By using many of the applications mentioned, you are exposed to many critics. Be aware that by utilizing a social networking site, millions of people may see your services and products. Be careful! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/business/smallbusiness/30reputation.html?ref=small-business-guides

The internet contains too many information that makes a quick search very difficult. The Horizon Report, Morgan Stanley Mobile Internet Report, and the ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology Report contain practical information to assist businesses. The more people use mobile and technological devices, products and services are advertised more in the World Wide Web. The current tendency is to use innovative websites to increase exposure and currently social networking sites are the most popular.

Bibliography
Christensen, C., Johnson, C. & Horn, M. (2008). Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Horizon Report. (2010). Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/

Morgan Stanley. (2009). Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/mobile_internet_report122009.html

Smith, S., Salaway, G. & Caruso, J. (2009). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology 2009. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.educause.edu/Resources/TheECARStudyofUndergraduateStu/187215

Extensive research shows that anyone can be nurtured into being a leader. People can possess different leadership skills, but if they do not have a clear vision and goal to conduct themselves, people will not accomplish anything (Claiborne & Perkins, 2009). Efficient leadership must have a clear mission, vision and purpose of change; Claiborne and Perkins (2009) suggest, people follow vision. Hence, interpersonal or social skills are not enough to let others know our distinctive purposes and roles in life.

My vision is founded upon unity, and it starts at home; with my wife, my mother, and my in-laws. Throughout my life, I have seen many “broken families” where people recur to drugs and alcohol to find comfort and escape. This is wholly due to a lack of unity fundamentally as a family. My wife shares this vision with me. We want to be an example for others to follow. During our interaction with friends, we explain not only why we are together, but also share our story; how we met, and how we live our lives as a happy couple. Many people find comfort in our stories because they see family values rooted in our unity as a couple. Our stories have helped friends improve their interaction with their families and acquaintances.

My wife and I are extremely happy we are leading friends with our vision. We have noticed that they tend to repeat our stories in order to help lead others (Claiborne & Perkins, 2009). We are glad friends share our family values to help those in need.

As aforesaid, everyone leads a different role and serves a different purpose thus, in our group of friends we are not the only ones who lead all the time. Many friends are very talented; hence, each one of us knows that no one person can lead the group. Claiborne and Perkins (2009) explain, a leader recognizes the person who can lead better in certain circumstances, so a leader lets others take control. Everyone is a leader and everyone is a follower in the group. For example, a friend that specializes in economics will contribute his knowledge when another friend has financial problems. When a friend wants to start a business, business owners or human resources specialists help using their experience.

We all help each other and understand that one person cannot solely lead the whole group. Different necessities and circumstances inhibit one person to be efficient in fulfilling all roles and responsibilities. We are together because we complement each other, and we plan to continue helping each other to benefit our lives.

Bibliography
Claiborne, S. & Perkins, J. (2009). Follow me to freedom: Leading and following as an ordinary radical. Ventura, CA: Regal.

When visiting a store, customers are exposed to an extensive array of products designed to accommodate and facilitate daily necessities. By far, most of these products are the result of a process referred to as “sustaining innovation”. These innovations take the form of enhancements to a previous product. For example, new features are added, manual products become automatic products (e.g., can openers), or products become more compact (e.g., laptops and desktops). Sometimes, however, the innovation goes beyond the mere enhancement of an existing product; it actually introduces something new into the marketplace. This is referred to as “disruptive innovation.”

A disruptive innovation goes beyond the established pattern of current products. A disruptive innovation is a product or service that is affordable, simple and accessible that does not exist in the market and that causes an imperative change in the customer’s behavior (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008). Disruptive innovations possess many advantages for business growth worth considering in this economic crisis in comparison to sustaining innovations.

A disruptive innovation is ripe for introduction into the market when competitors focus most of their time and energy on improving current products (i.e. the sustaining innovation) and trying to satisfy the needs of their customers (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008). The disruption occurs “little by little” at the non-consumer level or “at the end of the market” where products are simple, accessible and affordable (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008, p. 49, 85). At the non-consumers level, a product improves until it performs well enough to bypass popular products.

Good historical examples of disruptive innovations are the telephone and the fax machine. People once communicated by letters and telegrams and waited weeks for a response, but the invention of the telephone provided them instant communication with friends, family, and associates. When the fax machine was introduced, it allowed people to send copies of documents around the world to be signed and returned within minutes.

The impact of the telephone and fax machine on society is easily seen. They allow businesses to save both money and time. Business agents no longer need to travel long distances to operate in other countries. With the telephone verbal communication is instantaneous, and with the fax machine actual documents can be exchanged without delay. Today, people still use email and inter-office mail, but the telephone and the fax machine are staples of the office environment. For example, in the Fulton County Superior Court Mediation office, the fax machine is the most effective device to receive and send information to a judge’s chambers.

Disruptive innovations can be catalysts for change if they succeed and enhance consumers’ life. A disruptive innovation such as the iPad can save the consumer money and time. By using it, consumers may enjoy the many capabilities and applications to also play with children or spend time with family. In addition, a disruptive innovation such as the Nintendo Wii creates a new perspective, expands imagination, and creates alternatives to e.g. play sports (Anthony, 2008).

In contrast to a disruptive innovation, a sustaining innovation is characterized by the improvement of products and services that a business currently provides (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008). Most of the products that we see in stores are sustaining innovations because these products previously existed in the market but were enhanced to accommodate more necessities or changing trends (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008). Currently, the most popular example of a sustaining innovation is the cellular phone. While exhibiting some disruptive characteristics by allowing users to carry cellular phones on the person, cellular phones are presently improved in size capability, speed and applications added to manage daily activities.

Another example of a sustaining innovation is the HDTV. An HDTV allows people to view five different channels at the same time. Also, it allows video recording for an extensive time. Today, television manufacturers only improve the width of the TV’s and the quality of the images. No disruptive innovation has been created that impacts the perspective of televisions yet.

In my personal and professional life, I use an iPad to organize school information, projects from work, data bases from my own business, and even take pictures of new gourmet products that I see in the market. The iPad is an excellent tool that stores all my documents, files and software into one, and it is internet accessible everywhere I go. The only challenge that I take in consideration in any disruptive innovation is the efficiency of the new product (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008). The iPad possesses certain software limitations that make programs slow. However, as with any innovative product, it may have problems, but its implementation will make it a better product (Christensen, Johnson & Horn, 2008).

For business growth, disruptive innovations can be the best option to introduce in the market when competitors sustain their products. Hence, disruptive innovations may be catalysts for change if they are accepted by customers. Sustaining innovations abound in the market since companies pay more attention to make current products better. As a result, if a disruptive innovation is successful and enhances consumer’s life, it has great chances to be introduced in the market and succeed in leaving competitors out of it.

Bibliography
Anthony, S. (2008). What is disruptive innovation [video]. Retrieved November 2, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L66OH-x7a4&feature=player_embedded

Christensen, C., Johnson, C. & Horn, M. (2008). Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns. New York: McGraw-Hill.